Broken Down
by Silvershadow426
Summary: Coming from an abusive household and living a life without friends, Taylor Adams quickly learns how powerful friendship can be when the boys of South Park help Taylor through rough times. I own OC, Taylor Adams. Rated M for some South Park language.
1. Part 1 Ch 1

**Part 1-The Secret Chapter 1**

"911, what's your emergency?" The phone shook in my hand as I quickly stared around, waiting for my angered mother to burst through my door at any moment. Trying not to waste another precious second, I quickly whispered into the speaker.

"My mom is in a drunken rage! She's hitting me again!" I winced as I heard the beer bottle smash against the wall, and tried not to imagine the newly formed glass that she could use as a weapon.

"I need your name, age, and address please." The woman on the other end seemed frighteningly calm, but I knew that it was part of her job. Trying to ignore my heart pounding in my throat, I gave her the information, hoping that the police would come soon. After reading back the information, she assured me that everything would be okay and that the police were on their way.

I hoped that "everything would be okay" line would actually work this time. Still keeping a type grip on the phone, I could hear my mom pound on the door. I leaped into my closet and shut it.

"Taylor!" she slurred from outside my tiny bedroom. "I told you to get your ass out here!" The door swung open; I could imagine her drunken eyes scanning the room for me. Suddenly, sirens approached the house, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Taking my chances, I opened my door and ran out, barely avoiding getting grabbed. My only thought was that I was home free as I reached for the front door and ran towards the red and blue lights.

"Thank god you're here," I smiled at the chief officer. He looked down at me with an emotionless face.

"We got a call about child abuse at this address?" I nodded happily.

"I called," I explained. "My mom's inside. She gave me this." Rolling up my sleeve, I showed the officer the newly formed bruise on my arm. He nodded his head once before giving the others the signal to go in.

"Taylor, what are you doing out here in the cold?" My mother approached me cautiously, wary of the police officers around her. I couldn't believe how easily she could go from a drunken rage to a lying, caring bitch. As she reached out her arms, I backed away quickly. She looked at the chief with fake worry in those deceitful eyes.

"Is there a problem, officer?" she asked in an innocent voice. That always pissed me off. He approached her and tipped his hat.

"We got a call a little bit ago about child abuse at this house." My mom used to be a thespian, so I wasn't surprised when she gave him a very shocked expression.

"Child abuse? I've never abused Taylor in any way," she tried to explain. I pointed at her accusingly.

"You might as well tell them the truth!" I shouted angrily. "I already showed him the bruise that you gave me!" She smiled and gently placed her arms on my shoulders, making me flinch.

"Honey, don't you remember? You got that bruise when you accidentally ran into the doorframe." Her face held the look of a kind mother reassuring her child, but I could tell that she was extremely pissed off at me for calling her out on it. She stood up and looked at the chief again. "I'm so sorry to bother you. I can reassure you that there has never been any form of abuse in this house."

They bought her words like they were doughnuts, and before I knew it they were in their cars and driving away. I fell to my knees, staring after them until they were long gone. I felt her cold fingers grip my shoulders tightly, and a chill ran up my spine as she whispered threateningly into my ear.

"If you ever try to call the police on me again, I will kill you. And this time, I won't fail."

The next morning, she woke me up and told me that we were moving. When I asked her why, she only glared at me.

"Just pack up what little shit you have and put it in the truck." I sighed, knowing that I'd have to put up with the who-knows-how-long drive to our new home. The little stuff I had had been bought with my own money, since, luckily, I had been able to get a job in town since my mom didn't supply anything for me.

Grabbing a box, I packed up the few articles of clothing I wore, my skateboard, my old iPod, and anything else I could find. The box in one hand and my electric guitar in the other, I walked out to the pickup truck where our worn-out couch was already placed, along with my mom's boxes. I put my stuff inside, closed the door, and got in the truck.

I was surprised that this truck still worked considering the lack of care it went through. But before I knew it, the long drive from our small, North Dakota home passed in the silent hours. It wasn't until we started driving through the Rocky Mountains that I finally broke the silence.

"Tell me again why we had to move?" She didn't look at me, instead taking another breath of her cigarette before responding.

"It's none of your damn business." I straightened up in my seat and glared at her.

"Mom, I'm not stupid," I told her. "I know that it was because I called the cops on you last night. You just didn't want to get called out again at the same house!" That got her attention this time, but she only responded by holding up the cigarette in front of me. My eyes widened before I decided to just shut up and accept that I can't win fights with her. Anytime she held up one of those stupid sticks, I always knew that she was giving two choices: put it out with something solid like a normal person, or put it out on my back and add to the collection of burns that had grown throughout the years. I was lucky if I even got the choice.

Just when I thought that she would keep driving forever, we pulled into a small driveway. When I got out and stared at our new house, I almost couldn't believe what I was staring at. The crap shack was even smaller than my old house, and, like all the other houses around us, looked poorly managed. I glanced up the street and noticed that on the other side of the railroad tracks were the bigger houses and stores. So we'd be living on the poor, rundown, nobody-lives-here part of the town.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard my mom calling my name, but I wasn't paying attention. While I had been staring half-heartedly ahead, I ended up catching the eye of a nearby kid. He stared back at me through his window, but thanks to his orange parka I could only see his eyes. My only thought was that I wasn't going to be the only kid back here.

"Taylor!" A sharp pain erupted from the back of my head as my mom smacked me back to reality. "Weren't you listening to me? Get the couch inside." Rubbing the back of my head, I quickly cast another glance at the house up ahead, but the kid had left. I sighed and prepared myself for the new hellish night in my new hellish town.

It was eight-thirty as the school bus pulled up to South Park Elementary to drop off its students. A majority of them got off the large yellow vehicle with half-closed eyes; Monday morning was the worst time of the week. Slowly following their classmates, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick stood side-by-side and stared at the building that loomed in front of them.

"I fucking hate Mondays," Kenny muttered to himself. Stan sighed and shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"What makes it even worse is that Mr. Garrison is going to give us a test today." Cartman's eyes immediately widened.

"Shit, that was today?" he exclaimed. Too tired to respond, Stan just nodded his head.

"So, on top of taking a hard ass test," Kyle said grumpily, "it's going to be another boring day at school." As the boys started making their way toward the front doors, Butters suddenly intercepted them.

"Hey, fellas," he said in an unbearably perky tone. "You wouldn't believe what I saw this morning on my way to school."

"Butters, we don't care," Cartman exclaimed rudely, pushing the boy to the side to pass him. Butters looked down at the ground and started twiddling his fingers.

"I was just going to tell you that I saw a new kid skateboarding, and that they were really good." No sooner did Butters mention this than did the boys turn around, along with everyone else, to stare at the figure coming towards them. The kid truly was a professional for their age, kick flipping and grinding across the benches they passed. The wheels of their skateboard clicked between the sidewalk spaces before skidding to a stop in front of the staring group. Judging from the clothes, everyone could tell that this new student was a boy: black converse shoes, dark blue jeans that were ripped at the knees, a teal v-neck shirt with a light blue jacket, and a matching light blue hat that completely covered up his hair. He ignored the stares, picked up his skateboard, and walked inside.

For the next half hour, the boys and their classmates sat in Mr. Garrison's classroom, looking through their history books for last minute studying. Everyone was nervous; this would be one of their hardest tests of the year. They all sighed in frustration as the nine o' clock bell rang, and their teacher walked in.

"Okay, class," he began. "As you're all well aware of, today is your history test on World War I. I know the test looks long, but it's multiple choice, and if you studied you should have no problems." A chorus of exasperated sighs filled the classroom as Mr. Garrison held up the two-page, front and back test. As he was about to pass out the papers, a knock on the door interrupted him. The students stared in his direction as he opened the door, only to be met by Principal Victoria.

"I wish I knew what they were saying," Stan whispered to Kyle as the principal quietly discussed something with Mr. Garrison. He looked back at the kids before turning to Victoria again.

"Yes, we have an extra seat," he muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear, making the students extremely curious as to what the two adults were talking about. After some more whispered discussion, Mr. Garrison finally turned around as the principal walked away.

"Class, I'm happy to say that we have a new student joining us today." Kyle's eyes widened slightly as a boy followed Mr. Garrison into the classroom, recognizing him as the kid who had shown off his skateboarding skills earlier. Cartman scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Great, we get the kid who thinks he's so cool," he muttered sourly. Kenny glared at him with annoyance.

"Really, Cartman? I thought we already had one," he said sarcastically. Cartman glared back as Stan and Kyle stifled a laugh.

"His name is Taylor Adams," Mr. Garrison introduced before being interrupted by Cartman's obnoxious laughing.

"Taylor?" he burst out. "That's such a pansy girl name! How embarrassing!" The new kid took a step forward.

"Taylor can be a boy's name too, you know," he practically growled at Cartman, but he only smirked.

"Really? Name one guy who's name is Taylor." His face dropped as Taylor put on a smirk of his own.

"Taylor Lautner, smartass." Unable to respond, Cartman only sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, refusing to look at Taylor. Mr. Garrison sighed, knowing that there would be future rivalries between the two boys, but continued to speak.

"Anyway, Taylor, the only available seat is between Kenny and Eric. Try not to let him get the best of you." Taylor nodded his head and sat in the empty desk. As Mr. Garrison started passing out the tests again, Stan and Kyle turned around.

"Hey, dude," Kyle said with a smile. "I'm Kyle. This is Stan, that's Kenny, and you've already met the fatass."

"Shut up, Jew-boy," he countered weakly. Taylor smiled meekly before looking up at his new teacher, who had handed Stan and Kyle their tests.

"Taylor, I hope you don't mind," he apologized. "We're having a test today, so you'll have to keep yourself entertained while everyone else takes it."

"What?! That's not fair!" Cartman burst out angrily. "Why should we have to take the test while he just sits there and does nothing?" Taylor glared at him and balled his hands into fists, a warning that Cartman should just shut up and leave him alone. Mr. Garrison let out an exasperated sigh, and was about to yell at the boy before Taylor spoke up.

"I don't mind taking it," he said, hoping that it would be on something he had learned recently. "What's it on?"

"World War I," Mr. Garrison clarified. A large smile spread across the new kid's face.

"Give me the test, Garrison." Mr. Garrison's eyes widened slightly, but he handed him the papers nonetheless. Kyle, Stan, and Kenny gave him a questioning look, silently asking if he really knew what he was doing or if he just wanted to prove a point to Cartman. Taylor only responded with a thumbs up before picking up his pencil to start his test.


	2. Part 1 Ch 2

**Part 1-The Secret Chapter 2**

Cartman glared at Taylor from across the playground, his russet brown eyes containing hate, anger, and a hint of jealousy. As he sat on the steps with Stan, Kyle, and Kenny, he only thought about the complicated relationship that was forming between the two of them. After hours of waiting, Mr. Garrison had finally handed back the graded tests; most of the class sighed in disappointment as they looked at their grades, especially after they had studied so hard. Only a handful had gotten higher grades, but they only averaged in the eighties and low nineties.

"Man, I can't believe how hard that test was," Kyle exclaimed. Kenny nodded his head while Stan looked over at Taylor.

"I can't believe he got a ninety-eight." Cartman balled his hands into fists. This new kid thought he was so much cooler, so much smarter than everyone else. Cartman had offered him two challenges, and Taylor had accomplished them easily without leaving room for the jealous boy to respond. Something had to be done to make sure the new kid knew his place.

"I've got it!" he shouted proudly as an idea popped into his head. The other boys looked at him quizzically. Before giving them a chance to ask anything, Cartman went on to explain. "We need to show Taylor his place since he's the new kid. I propose that we…" He paused for dramatic effect before putting an evil smile on his face. "Beat him up!" Stan rolled his eyes.

"First of all, that wasn't dramatic at all." Cartman only glared at him.

"And second," Kyle finished for him, "why should he get beaten up? He's obviously a smart kid, and there's nothing wrong with that. And face it, Cartman," he said while stifling a laugh, "you probably didn't even study. You had that F coming."

"Fuck you, Kyle," he muttered before casting his eyes back at Taylor. He was sitting under the lone tree in the corner of the playground, obviously not trying to make any friends. He was shy, which left him vulnerable and without any backup. He was listening to his iPod, and anyone could tell he was listening to a rock song. His foot tapped the beat while he played an invisible guitar, but Cartman couldn't help noticing that his fingers moved through the air as if he was actually playing an instrument.

"So, are you going to go fight him?" Kenny asked. "Or are we going to have to bring him to you?" Cartman blew air angrily through his nose before finally getting up and walking towards Taylor. Kenny nudged his friends.

"Come on, let's go get a better seat. I want to see him get his ass kicked!" Stan and Kyle laughed as they stood and followed Cartman, telling people about what was to come as they passed by. By the time Cartman reached the tree, a majority of the kids had gathered around behind him. Taylor noticed this and pulled out his ear buds.

"What do you want?" he asked irritably, sensing that he'd have to do something to the boy standing in front of him.

"Get up," he demanded. "We're going to fight." Taylor raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Why? Is it some South Park initiation or something?" He stood up and casually wrapped his ear buds around the iPod before shoving it into his pocket and smirking at Cartman. "Or is this just another one of your 'challenges' that I keep plowing over with ease?" The ten-year-old only glared at him, clearly annoyed at Taylor's cockiness towards him. It was as if he was purposefully playing with his nerves just to piss him off.

"Maybe it's both," Cartman responded, hoping that he'd be able to show him that he could play this game too. Taylor crossed his arms and shook his head sadly.

"Trust me, you don't want to fight me," he warned. "It'd be a waste of both our times." As he started walking past the waiting children, Cartman smiled and laughed.

"Oh, I get it!" he shouted victoriously. "You just know that you can't beat me! Because you know that I'd kick your sorry ass!" Kyle looked at him questioningly.

"But Cartman, you got your ass kicked by Wendy that one time," he pointed out, but was silenced as the boy shot him a warning glare. But Taylor had already stopped walking from Cartman's previous comment, and didn't turn around when he spoke.

"If you really want to know why I don't want to fight you," he sighed, "it's because I'm a black belt in martial arts." A chorus of awes flowed through the group of kids; they backed away quickly as Taylor suddenly turned around to glare at his challenger. "But if you still want to fight…"

Cartman immediately lunged for the new student, his right hand raised into a fist. Taylor only stood with a bored expression on his face, and as Cartman approached he took one swift step to the side and stuck out his leg, tripping the boy. Cartman wiped the snow from his face and glared at Taylor, and everyone could clearly see the rage that was directed towards him.

"What the fuck was that?" he shouted angrily as he stood up again.

"One of the most important lessons of martial arts," Taylor barely smirked. "Use your enemy's power against him." Frustrated, and feeling mocked as he noticed everyone's eyes on him, Cartman lunged for Taylor again. Swinging punches left and right, Taylor's only movements consisted of taking steps back and ducking every one of his movements.

"Hold… the… fuck… still…" Cartman said between swings. His eyes widened as Taylor suddenly caught his fist in his right hand, and in one fluid motion Taylor moved to the side while grabbing his arm with his other hand, and flipped Cartman clear over his head.

"Holy shit!" Stan shouted in amazement.

"He fucking flipped him!" Kenny added. Cartman moaned as he lay on the ground, and as Taylor crouched down to look at him a flicker of fear entered his eyes, only to quickly be replaced by anger.

"That wasn't a fight!" he objected. Taylor hadn't swung a single punch at him, but he only stared down at him with emotionless chocolate brown eyes.

"You're right, Cartman," he said, barely loud enough for the group around them to hear. "That wasn't a fight. That was me defending myself from a stupid fatass." As he stood up, he unraveled his ear buds and walked away, shoving his hands into his coat pockets.

One could've heard a pin drop on the silent playground. Nobody cheered for Taylor, and nobody laughed at Cartman. Everyone was stunned, half of them staring after the victor while the other half stared at Cartman on the ground. His brown eyes shot daggers after his new enemy, ignoring the stares that now surrounded him.

_That's the third time that son of a bitch has made me look foolish, _he thought bitterly before mentally smiling to himself. _Just you wait until I get my revenge on you after school today, asshole._

I was so happy when the final bell rang at three o' clock. I knew Cartman was furious at me for whupping him at recess, so sitting next to him in class for the rest of the day had me on edge. I'm not scared of him, especially since I know that he acts tough when he's really not, but the last thing I need is to have _another_ person trying to beat me up everyday. While I tried to make it seem like what happened earlier was no big deal, I could see from my side vision that his eyes were aiming daggers at me.

As soon as that bell rang, I was out of the classroom and at my locker with surprising speed. But, of course, it was just my luck that my locker was next to Cartman's. Luckily, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny's lockers were there too, so at least they would be there sometimes. But I didn't want to deal with any of them, so I quickly grabbed my skateboard and made my way to the main entrance. If it wasn't for Cartman's stupidity, I wouldn't be in such a rush to get home, especially since her royal bitch is there, but what choice did I have?

Unfortunately, my luck just seemed to get worse and worse. As soon as I stepped outside, all eyes were on me. How had my entire class made it outside so quickly? I gulped, feeling exposed and trapped, but breathed in a deep sigh and walked towards Stan and Kyle.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" I asked, feeling excruciatingly nervous. Kenny came up behind me suddenly and patted me on the back for some reason.

"Dude, everyone thought that was so cool what you did to Cartman earlier!" Kyle exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, you actually were able to lift him off the ground," Stan chimed in. I admit, it was pretty funny that I was actually able to send him flying over my head, but I had tried to avoid the fight for this exact reason. I wasn't popular at my old school, and I didn't want to be. I'm one of those kids who just likes to sit in the corner and be ignored. Otherwise, shit like this happens and you're all of a sudden the cool kid.

"Trust me, it's no big deal," I said as calmly as possible. I placed my skateboard on the ground and hopped on, before turning back toward my new… I don't really want to say "friends", but I don't really think there's another word for my situation. Maybe acquaintances? Yeah, that'll work.

"Wait," Kenny suddenly said before I pushed off the sidewalk. I turned to him. "Don't you want to hang out with us? We can show you around the town." It sounded welcoming, but like I said, I just wanted to sit in the corner and be ignored.

"No thanks. I have to get home and help my mom unpack. We have a lot of stuff to go through." Kyle and Stan nodded in agreement, saying how we could go tomorrow, but in the half second that I caught Kenny's eye I could see that he knew I was lying through my teeth. I looked away and pushed off, but I could feel his cornflower blue eyes searing after me, knowing that I held my home-life secret from all of them. He was there the night I had moved in, after all.

It felt nice to be on my skateboard again, feeling the rush of the wind in my face. As I gained more momentum, I expertly prepared to do a kick-flip, if it wasn't for the sudden foot that stuck out of the bushes next to me. My skateboard stopped underneath me as I flew forward onto the hard sidewalk, skidding a little and being thankful that my jacket separated my skin from the concrete. It still hurt like hell, though. When I looked up, Cartman was laughing hysterically.

"What the fuck was that for, you asshole?!" I stood up to glare at him, clutching the arm I had landed on.

"My revenge is complete!" he said between laughs.

"Revenge?" I asked incredulously. "For what? Beating your ass earlier? Some revenge. Now you're going to see what it's really like to get beaten up." I threateningly took a step toward him, but when he opened his eyes to look at me I noticed that his laughing had stopped and his jaw dropped slightly.

"Taylor," I heard Kyle call. "Are you…" His voice trailed away, and I could hear the footsteps of the other kids advancing towards us. Great, another crowd.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, still glaring at a dumbstruck fatass. "He just tripped me on my skateboard." When I turned to look at the group behind us, I noticed that they all had the same look that Cartman had. That was when I noticed a strand of my black hair hanging next to my eye. Fear overtook me as I quickly looked down to see that my hat had flown off when I fell.

"Whoa, dude," Stan said just loud enough so everyone could hear. "Taylor is a girl!"


	3. Part 1 Ch 3

**Part 1-The Secret Chapter 3**

"Freak!"

"Loser!"

"Weirdo!"

I clapped my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut. My fingers dug into my hair as I heard the taunting shouts of the other kids echo around me. The weak and scared side of me escaped, and I could feel myself slowly start to crouch onto the ground while my mind imagined the pointing fingers and laughing children. Shit, why did this have to happen? Why did this have to be my life? I'm only ten for crying out loud!

"Stop laughing at me," I mumbled over and over. I didn't have to work hard to keep the tears from flowing out of my eyes; with all the bullshit I've been through, I have no more tears to shed.

"Taylor," I heard someone whisper. "No one's laughing at you." The person gently placed his hand on my arm, causing me to slowly look up. I locked eyes with Kyle, his powerful forest green orbs holding care and reassurance in their depths. The kind of feelings that I never got anymore.

When I finally decided to look at the scene around me, I realized that Kyle was right. The crowd of students were silent, as they had been when I was discovered. Past memories had flooded over me, making the whole situation just a trick of my mind. My fingers unraveled themselves from my hair as I reached back to grab my hat. I didn't say anything, just waited for someone else to break the silence. When no one spoke up, I sighed and started playing with my hat nervously.

"So I guess the big secret's out, huh?" I muttered, trying not to make eye contact with anyone, especially Cartman. I was shocked when I saw a green glove suddenly come into my field of vision, and when I finally looked up I saw Kyle smiling down at me, offering me his hand. I felt the corners of my lips slightly twitch, as if they wanted to smile, but I quickly stopped them from doing so and took his hand.

"Why don't you just explain on the bus?" he smiled as he helped me up off the ground. I hesitated, knowing that my mom would kill me if I wasn't home immediately, but she was probably drunk anyway. She wouldn't care if I got home a little late, would she? As for myself, I wanted to stay out of that house for as long as possible.

"Sure," was the only word I was able to conjure as I bent down to pick up my skateboard. When I finally looked at Cartman again, I noticed that he was looking away with what seemed to be embarrassment. Still pissed off at him, I shrugged off the urge to ask what his problem was and followed Kyle onto the bus with the other students.

The five of us sat in the back, Kyle and Stan sitting in front of me while Kenny and Cartman sat behind me. Having a whole bus seat to myself, I sat with my back to the window with my feet resting on the seat. I didn't look at them, didn't want to explain why I had disguised myself as a boy. I had only known them for the day, and I wasn't quite sure how much I could trust them. But when Stan and Kyle turned around to look at me, I couldn't help thinking that maybe I _could_ trust them with my secrets. Maybe they could be the ones to give me a home when I barely had one. Great, now I'm just getting ahead of myself.

"So," Stan smiled down at me, "why didn't you tell us you were really a girl?" I sighed, figuring that I might as well get everything out of my system, but looked at them suspiciously.

"Before I tell you guys anything," I said as calmly as possible, "you have to promise that you won't think any differently of me." They all exchanged wondering glances before nodding. I sighed, bit my lip nervously, and finally went on to tell them my story.

"At my old school, I was made fun of for being a tomboy. I never liked girly things, which was apparently what I was supposed to like. The girls liked make-up and dressing in the most fashionable clothes, and the boys liked video games, skateboarding..." I thought for a minute. "Pretty much all the stuff I like. And besides, hanging out with the boys is a lot better because there's not nearly as much drama as there is with girls." Kyle and Kenny smiled, but Stan looked worried.

"Welcome to South Park, the most stereotypical place on Earth."

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely curious as to what he was getting at.

"I mean, that's pretty much the same thing here." I sighed, laying my head back to rest against the window.

"Great," I muttered. "So I'm just going to be continuously mocked for the rest of my life?" Kyle smiled slightly.

"In all honesty, I think that there should be more girls like you." I looked up at him, my eyes wide. Did he really think that? I was extremely surprised, especially since I had been considered a freak for my whole life because I was a tomboy. I looked back down, and continued my story.

"Anyway, when my mom told me that we were moving I took it as an opportunity to disguise myself so I wouldn't be made fun of." I paused to glare at Cartman, who hadn't said a word since he tripped me. "But I guess that plan's ruined." Before Cartman could say anything, Kenny interrupted him.

"Hey, Cartman, you know what that means? You've officially been beaten up by two girls!" That got the boys laughing, and I couldn't help but smile a bit as I remembered Kyle saying something about how Wendy had beaten him up as well. Cartman glared at Kenny.

"Please, she didn't beat me up," he defended himself. "She didn't even swing a single punch."

"That's because I didn't need to," I growled at him. It was amazing how quickly he could change my mood. "Besides, I don't like to fight."

"Because you probably wouldn't even win," he muttered as he sat back in his seat. I popped my head over the top of the seat and flicked him in the forehead. He whined in pain, getting the boys to laugh again.

As the bus slowly rolled to a stop, Kyle and Stan led me off with Kenny and Cartman following behind. As we stood at the bus stop, I realized that I had absolutely no idea where I was. I had skateboarded to the school from my house, so taking a different route had me completely turned around.

"Are you okay, Taylor?" Stan asked, looking at me with a concerned look. I looked away embarrassingly.

"Well, I'm not really sure how to get home from here," I admitted. Kenny was suddenly standing next to me.

"Just follow me," he smiled. "You only live two houses down from mine." An eruption of laughter broke behind us, and I quickly turned around to glare at Cartman for what felt like the millionth time today.

"What's so damn funny?" I asked, feeling my hands clench. Finally able to get enough air into his lungs, he spoke.

"You live in the same neighborhood as Kenny?" He was starting to cry from laughing so hard. "I can't believe it! That means that we have _two_ poor kids in our class!" Before I knew it, my fist was connecting with his face and he was on the ground, silent. Kenny grabbed my fist while Stan and Kyle gently placed their hands on my shoulders.

"You think it's funny?!" I screamed at him. "I didn't ask to live in a shitty house! I didn't ask to live the life I'm living!" I didn't realize that I had this much rage pent up inside me, but I guess Cartman had to be the one to get it out of my system. "I didn't ask for a mom who-" I stopped myself. I might have told them about how much of a freak I was, but there were some things that didn't need to be said quite yet. I took a huff of air, tearing myself away from the others. I started walking in a random direction, wanting to get away from the boy on the ground.

"A mom who what?" Cartman asked, clearly wanting me to continue. I stopped, but spoke loud enough for him to hear me.

"Nothing." I turned around to stare at him. "But now you know what it feels like to be punched by me." Kenny walked towards me, turning around to wave his hand at the two stunned boys, and led me in the direction of home. After some silent walking, he finally spoke up.

"Why didn't you tell them about your mom?" I stopped. I couldn't keep anything from Kenny; he saw how my mom was the night I had moved in. But I suddenly looked up at him with a blank expression.

"Why didn't you tell anyone earlier that I was a girl?" I countered. "You saw me last night without my hat. Obviously, you knew before anyone else." Kenny sat on a nearby bench and patted it, inviting me to sit next to him. When I did, he removed his hood to reveal his blond hair hiding underneath.

"I'm not stupid, Taylor," he smiled at me. "When I saw you this morning I knew that something was going on. Yeah, I knew you were a girl, but I was smart enough to realize that if you wanted people to think you were a boy..." He trailed off, knowing that I'd be able to guess the rest. I figured it was time to answer his question, so I quickly took off my jacket to reveal my collection of bruises from move-in night. It was amazing how quickly the human face can contort from smiling happiness to pure horror.

"Do you really think I'd want them to worry about me?" I asked sadly. "I don't want them to know about the life I come from." Kenny leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Why not?" I squeezed my eyes shut, slipping my jacket back on.

"Because nobody understands." Kenny McCormick was the first person I had confided in, and honestly, it felt nice. He just sat there and let me talk. He didn't say "I'm sorry" or "I know how you feel".

"My mom hates me," I admitted to him. "Anytime something bad happens, she tells me it's my fault. Everything is my fault. I'm a freak. I'm weird. Everything that people have told me is true." I buried my head in my hands, but as I mentioned earlier, no tears fell. His hand rested on my back reassuringly.

"Nothing is your fault," he said confidently. "You're not a freak, and you're not weird. You are Taylor, you are a tomboy." He lifted my head so that I could look into his cornflower blue eyes. "You are our friend."

Friend. It felt nice and relieving to hear that word come out of someone else's mouth. I smiled at him before standing up and looking toward the railroad tracks, which were still a few blocks away. As Kenny and I walked side-by-side, he told me about the life he came from, which took the entire rest of the trip to tell. At least I knew somebody who had some idea of what I was going through. When we finally stopped in front of his house, I looked over at mine. I couldn't hide the nervousness on my face, and Kenny was quick to pick up on it.

"Hey." I looked at him. "If you ever need someone to talk to, or you just want to get out of the house, come find me." He turned around to head inside, but glanced back at me again. "And eventually, you'll find yourself drifting toward Stan and Kyle for help as well. They're great to have as friends." I chuckled slightly.

"What about Cartman?" I joked. The corners of Kenny's mouth twitched a bit.

"I can tell that you and Kyle share the same hatred of Cartman, but I can't help feeling that you guys will have your moments." He left me with those last words, and frankly, I was dumbfounded. I had been in this town for only a day, and already my relationship with Cartman was not good at all.

As I turned to leave for my house, I continuously thought about what Kenny had said, and I realized that he was right. I had a feeling that soon I would warm up to Stan and Kyle, and maybe after some time I would consider them family. Cartman on the other hand was another story. How could I ever become friends with someone like him? But this is South Park, and stranger things have happened.


	4. Part 2 Ch 1

**Part 2-The Fear Chapter 1**

Taylor slowly and quietly shut the door behind her before tiptoeing towards her bedroom. As she proceeded down the hallway toward the back of the small house where she would feel the safest, she couldn't help but cast her chocolate brown eyes into the living room as she passed by. After only one day of living in their new home in the town of South Park, Colorado, Taylor's mother had already made half of the house look like a tornado had blown through. Cigarette butts littered the floor, the couch had acquired more stains, and the disgusting odor of alcohol from a variety of different bottles hung in the air. Taylor gagged at the smell as she quickly passed the open doorway.

"Oh, Taylor." The young girl stopped in her tracks; her mother, who had passed out on the couch at who knows what time, had awoken. Taylor's mind reeled, not knowing what to do. If she went to her room, she'd get hit for not coming when she was called. But if she faced the woman to whom she sometimes referred to as the Wicked Bitch of the West, she would get hit for something else her abusive mother called her out on. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation for the ten-year-old. Taking a deep breath before the woman became even more impatient, she decided to do what she always did.

"Yeah, mom?" Taylor said as she stood facing her mother. The woman was obviously drunk again, her limbs hanging loosely off the side of the old couch with her eyes glazed over and half-closed. She raised a finger toward her daughter, making her flinch as Taylor stared at the bony finger pointed directly as her. She knew her mom was going to accuse her of something.

"Where have you been?" she slurred. Taylor clutched her skateboard tightly in her hands.

"I took the bus home," she responded, trying not to give too much away. Her mom dropped her hand limply before gesturing for Taylor to come closer. She hesitated before she finally approached the couch. _I could always use my skateboard as a weapon if need be,_ she thought to herself before she hid the smile that threatened to appear on her face.

"Did you get me my cigarettes?" her mom spoke again, making it seem as if she were trying to change the subject. Taylor, however, knew her better than that.

"Mom, I'm ten," Taylor explained for what felt like the billionth time. "Legally, I'm not allowed to buy you your stupid cigarettes." Her mother stared at her with a half-tired, blank expression before she looked up at the ceiling.

"Why did you take the bus home?" She changed the subject again, but Taylor was reluctant to be a part of this Q and A, and wanted to get to her room as quickly as possible.

"Why do you care?" she asked bitterly, looking away and towards the floor. Her mom slowly sat up and glared at her, giving her the look that told Taylor that a fight was about to break out.

"I'm not going to ask you again." Taylor's amazement at how quickly her mother could go from lying helpless on the couch to hostile and threatening never disappeared. She gulped.

"I decided to ride home with some new friends." The word felt strange as it hung in the air, especially to the ears of the person hearing it. Before Taylor knew what was happening, her mother was on her feet and grabbing at her daughter's arm with an iron grip. Her breath smelled of alcohol as she leaned in closer.

"Little Taylor made some new friends today, hmm?"

Taylor held her gaze, planning in her mind what her plan of action would be. "You know they're not really your friends, right?"

Taylor's grip on her skateboard tightened as she blocked out her mother's lies with Kenny's reassurances from earlier. Lucky for her, her skateboard was being held in her right hand, her stronger arm, while her mother's steel fingers dug into her left arm.

"Face it, you didn't have any friends in North Dakota, you don't have any friends now, and you'll never have any friends ever. And do you know why?" Taylor's brown eyes burned with hatred. "Because no one likes you." Her mother smiled deviously. "You're a freak.

"I am not a freak!" Taylor's rage exploded out of her as she swung her skateboard around to slam it into the side of her mother's head. The blow was enough to get her to let go of her other arm, but Taylor knew she was about to get a beating.

"You little bitch!" she shouted, lunging for Taylor. She tried to dodge, but wasn't quite fast enough as she felt a tight fist slam into her face near her eye. She fell onto the floor, clutching the left side of her face in agony, and curled into a defensive ball, expecting to have another shot of pain come her way. As the seconds slowly ticked by, Taylor slowly opened her eyes to see her mother glaring over her. In her hand was Taylor's skateboard.

"I'm going to let you off with that," she practically growled through her teeth, "because I'm going to do this." Horrified, Taylor watched as her mother raised her beloved skateboard into the air and powerfully swung it against the door frame, splitting it in half while little wooden splinters scattered all over the floor. Dropping the half that was still in her hand, Taylor's mom approached her, picked her up, and flung her toward the shattered remains of one of her most prized possessions.

"Clean it," she demanded before leaving the living room and slamming the front door shut. Horrified and stunned, Taylor picked up the broken pieces and ran for her room, locking her door behind her. Sitting on her bed, she cradled the pieces to her chest and looked down at one of the halves, turning it upside down. She was on the verge of screaming as a mix of emotions overwhelmed her entire being as she silently read the words that were written underneath: To my pride and joy. Love, Dad.

Taylor sleepily blinked open her eyes as her sleep had been interrupted by the blaring sound of her alarm clock. As she reached out with her left hand to silence the device, she couldn't help but notice the fresh marks that stained her arm purple and blue from the night before. Breathing a deep sigh, she sat up and looked over her surroundings. Her room was smaller than her old one in North Dakota, but was still plenty big enough to home the little stuff she owned. Her clothes were stored in the boxes she had managed to bring along, never to know what it would feel like to be neatly folded in a dresser. Her mattress sat by itself, cushioning Taylor from the hard, cold floor, while a single blanket and pillow kept her warm. Her alarm clock, now silent, was placed on the floor beside where her head lay at night. In one of the corners of the room was her black electric guitar that she had learned to play when she was only three. She sighed sadly as she remembered the last time she had heard its beautiful sound come out of an amp.

Deciding not to waste any more time, Taylor got off of her bed and walked toward her door, still locked from last night. Peeking through the cracked door and listening for her mother, the young girl quietly made her way to the bathroom. As she closed the door and stared into the mirror, she couldn't help but feel her breath catch in her throat as she stared at her black eye. She had gotten plenty of them before, but she mentally flinched thinking about what the guys would say.

"Kenny's the only one who knows about the life I come from," Taylor murmured to herself as she tentatively touched the mark on her face. After brushing her teeth and stroking her fingers through her black hair to untangle it, Taylor returned to her room to get dressed. She paused as she glanced down at her broken skateboard, thinking that it would be a good idea to hide it from her mother by storing it under her mattress. After doing so and putting on her old clothes, she grabbed her hat and quickly went into the bathroom again. As she stared again at her bruised face, she placed her light blue hat on top of her hair, leaving it down since there was no longer any point in trying to disguise herself as a boy.

"Thanks, Cartman," she muttered through her teeth as she subconsciously rubbed the spot on her arm where she had fallen yesterday afternoon. Suddenly realizing that she could finally wear her hair down, she pulled and arranged a few strands around so that they covered her eye. Smiling slightly, she went back to her room and locked her door before she grabbed her backpack and looked at her closed window. Not wanting her mom to enter her room at some point while she was gone, and so that she wouldn't have another run in with her on her way out, Taylor unlocked her window and proceeded to climb through. Having a one-story house helped her situation immensely as her shoes landed on the soft snow underneath. Adjusting her bag on her shoulder, the young girl started to walk toward the bus stop.

"Shut the fuck up, Kyle!" Cartman shouted loudly as he angrily locked eyes with the other boy. "It's not true!" Kyle's forest green eyes glared back at Cartman, highly annoyed at the fact that the fatter boy was making a huge deal over nothing.

"Dude, calm down," he said as calmly as he could possibly be around his "friend." "Everyone's afraid of something." Cartman was practically nose to nose with Kyle.

"But I'm not afraid!" he shouted again. "What kind of retard is afraid of other people? That's so dumb!"

"Could you not scream in my ear?" The Jew barely reacted to Cartman's childish actions, which he knew just pissed him off even more. Meanwhile, Stan and Kenny looked mischievously at each other.

"Hey, Cartman," Stan interrupted before he could say something else. "Taylor's behind you." Cartman instantly jumped into the air before hiding behind Kyle like a scared puppy.

"Kyle! Use your Jew powers to protect me!" The other three boys laughed hard, almost to the point of crying. When Cartman looked up and realized the situation, he stood up and glared at them all with hatred in his brown eyes.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny you guys!" Stan was the first to regain his breath, but was only just barely able to get out a sentence.

"Dude, just admit that Taylor scares you a little and we'll move on." Cartman could feel his face blush as Stan pointed out something that he himself knew was true. As much as he didn't want to admit to himself, Cartman was genuinely terrified of Taylor. He wasn't quite sure why, but when the memory of being flipped over her head entered his mind, he couldn't help but slightly shudder. He crossed his arms in defiance and looked away.

"Whatever," he said with a bored voice. "She could sneak up on me right now and I wouldn't do anything."

"Hey, guys," a voice suddenly said behind Cartman, causing him to leap into the air again and dive toward the other guys. Tears flowed down their faces as they started laughing again at Cartman's reaction to Taylor's sudden presence. The boy stood up again, brushing the snow off of his jacket.

"Shut up! Any one of you would've jumped if you heard a fucking voice behind you!" Kenny took in a slow breath of air as Stan and Kyle also tried to stop laughing and placed his hand on Cartman's shoulder.

"Whatever you say," he smirked. When the blond suddenly noticed Taylor's quiet demeanor, he was standing next to her in a second. She couldn't help but look into his reassuring blue eyes. "Are you okay, Taylor?" She only nodded her head and looked away quickly. Kenny looked at her worriedly, but didn't press any more questions on her. Cartman then decided to take the opportunity to confront her.

"Hey, Taylor," he said in an almost mocking tone. "Wearing your hair down, I see." Taylor didn't react; she only stared straight ahead, waiting for the bus to pull up so they could go to school. "Deciding to be a girl today?"

"Cartman, stop it," Kyle warned him, knowing that eventually Taylor would snap and Cartman would get beaten up before class even started. But Cartman only ignored him.

"Why are you wearing your hair over your eye?" As he reached out to move her hair out of the way, his smartass smirk quickly vanished as the girl tightly grabbed his hand without looking at him. She proceeded to bend his palm backward, sending him kneeling onto the ground in pain. "Okay, okay!" Taylor let go of his hand as quickly as she had grabbed it, but still continued to stare straight ahead without saying a word. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny could detect her mood emanating around her that gave off the signal that said, "Leave me alone." When the bus finally pulled up, they got on in silence.

They sat in the same seating as they had on the way home from school yesterday, but the awkward silence between them all was making them a bit anxious. Kenny decided to move up a seat to sit with Taylor.

"Hey," he said quietly, trying not to get the others' attention. "Are you sure you're okay?" Taylor sighed in defeat before looking at him again. She had to tell him what had happened the night before, especially since he would understand the most. As she revealed to her friend the confrontation between her and her mother, Stan and Kyle had started to listen as well while Cartman listened to his iPod, so he had no idea what was going on. After she was done talking, she moved her hair away from her eye, and saw the guys flinch.

"Taylor, that's horrible!" Kyle's concerned voice made Taylor look at him for a split second before she looked down again at the floor of the bus. She suddenly remembered Kenny's words from when they were walking home.

_You'll find yourself drifting toward Stan and Kyle for help as well. They're great to have as friends. _

"Shouldn't Child Protective Services have come in by now?" Stan wondered aloud, but also directed it toward Taylor. She felt Kenny tense up a bit at the mention of the CPS, and she made a mental note to question him about it later, but for now she decided to answer Stan's question.

"Trust me, I've tried," she muttered in defeat. "But my mom used to be an actress. No matter who I call to try to help me, she always puts on this 'show' to fool everyone into thinking she's a good mother." Her fists tightened in her lap as she remembered all the times in the past that she could've been taken away before her mom cut in.

"What about your dad?" Kyle asked. "Can't he do anything about it?" Taylor's shoulders sagged and her grip loosened.

"Th-that's not really something I want to talk about," she said quietly. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny looked at each other questioningly, but decided against asking her anything else. She was obviously in pain, physically and emotionally, and they all knew that she just needed friends to be there for her. She inwardly smiled, promising herself that if they stuck by her side she would feel better by recess.


	5. Part 2 Ch 2

**Part 2-The Fear Chapter 2**

"That's so unfair!" Kyle shouted toward Cartman, who was holding a football triumphantly in his hand. "We can't play a game if you outnumber us!" Cartman only rolled his eyes.

"Chill out, Kyle, it's only one person," he said, trying once again to get his way so that he would be able to beat the ginger in a simple game of football. "Plus, we have Butters so the teams are pretty much even anyway." Stan glared at him while Kenny tried to reason with his teammate.

"Kyle's right, dude," he said as he looked around the playground for another person. "They need one more player, otherwise it won't be fair." Cartman's eyes widened in disbelief, but Stan spoke up before the fat boy could start anything.

"What about Taylor?" he asked, staring at the girl who sat underneath the lone tree on the playground. Since school had started, she had been acting a lot better than that morning, but she still distanced herself from everyone around her. Of course, that was understandable considering the life she came from.

"Oh, please," Cartman scoffed. "She can't play football. She's just a stupid girl."

"And you're a stupid douchebag who's about to get his ass kicked," Taylor said from behind him. Cartman quickly took a step back in surprise at Taylor's sudden appearance behind him, not knowing that Stan had caught her eye and had motioned for her to come over. "And if _someone _hadn't revealed that I was a girl, you'd be dying to ask me to play."

"Perfect," Kyle smiled triumphantly. "Now we have even teams. Let's play before recess is over." As Taylor tossed her hat and jacket aside and proceeded to tie up her hair in a ponytail, she couldn't help but glare at Cartman through her black eye as she passed by him.

_I don't care what Kenny says, _she thought to herself as she lined up with the other boys. _I could never be friends with the likes of him. _

The teams were divided evenly: Taylor, Stan, Kyle, Token, and Clyde on one side and Cartman, Kenny, Craig, Butters, and Tweek on the other. Craig and Stan were chosen as quarterbacks; Taylor's brain was already working at a mile a minute, figuring out different strategies to get a touchdown for her team while she and Cartman glared viciously at each other. When Kyle snapped the ball, Taylor quickly leaped around Cartman and ran down the field, waving her arms to get Stan's attention. He threw the ball to her, Cartman yelling at his teammates that she was wide open as she successfully caught it and ran toward the end of the playground.

This continued for the remainder of recess; Taylor scored a majority of the points for her team, impressing everyone more and more. Whenever the other team had possession, Craig's throws usually resulted in an interception by her as well. By the end of recess the score was 24-6, leaving Cartman in a frustrated mood.

_This bitch thinks she can do everything, _he thought to himself as he glared at the back of her head while they walked inside. _She's got to have a weakness. Everyone has a weakness, and I won't stop until I find hers._ He smiled mischievously as he imagined having Taylor Adams at his feet, begging for mercy.

Two weeks passed, and for Taylor, it had been the best two weeks of her life. She started coming out of her protective shell more and more as she hung out with the boys on a daily basis. She finally told Stan and Kyle about the life she came from, and smiled as they told her that she was welcomed into their homes anytime she needed them. Taylor took that opportunity anytime she was granted it, and found herself practically living at Stan and Kyle's houses as time went by.

Kyle couldn't help but start to notice a lot of hidden qualities about his new friend. She was incredibly smart, and was also good at video games; Cartman had a few fits about losing to a girl, which ultimately resulted in him getting punched, hard. But what really impressed Kyle was her love of music. She could play guitar flawlessly and had a voice to match. He found this out when the group was at Stan's house one day and Taylor happened to notice an electric guitar in the corner.

"Oh, that's my dad's," Stan said carelessly, keeping his eyes on the television screen. After admiring its beauty from afar, Taylor looked back at Stan.

"Do you think he'd mind if I played a bit?" she asked, a hint of shyness in her voice. Stan looked at her with awe in his sky blue eyes.

"You know how to play guitar?" he asked disbelievingly. Taylor nodded her head before getting up to plug the guitar into the amplifier. It was the first time the boys had seen her true happiness shine through as she adjusted the sound of the strings so that they were in tune. It was the first time in years that she had played a guitar with its full sound.

"What do you guys want to hear?" she asked, clearly excited just to be able to play. Kenny just smiled up at her.

"Anything," he said, giving her his full, undivided attention along with the others, except for Cartman, who was still half-focusing on the TV. Taylor nodded her head as she thought carefully about what she wanted to play. When nothing immediately came to mind, she decided to just play off the top of her head.

The small performance blew the boys away as her fingers skillfully moved over the strings with ease while her voice tamed the words she came up with on the spot. Kyle had a hard time focusing on the way she played as his eyes kept drifting up to admire the happiness that reflected off her face. After a few minutes of playing random chords and making up words at the top of her head, Taylor turned off the amp, her face red with slight embarrassment.

"Wow, Taylor!" Kyle shouted admiringly. "That was great!" Taylor cast her brown eyes down to the floor.

"Thanks," she muttered shyly. "That was the first time in years that I've actually played with the full sound." When the room was suddenly quiet, she made her way to the staircase. "I'll be right back," she said quickly before her feet pounded up the stairs toward the bathroom. Closing the door and staring at herself in the mirror, she tried to breathe evenly.

_I really wish I knew if Kyle liked me as more than a friend,_ she thought to herself, observing her bright red face as she tried to return it to its normal color. _I just can't tell with him! _After the red from her face faded, she let the cool water from the sink wash over her face. It felt relaxing, but after standing for what felt like hours thinking about what to do with her situation, Taylor decided that she should probably just go back downstairs and let whatever happens happen. When she came back downstairs and sat on the couch between Stan and Kyle, she tried to ignore the fact that she felt the heat rising to her face again.

"What did I miss?" she asked as "Terrance and Philip" came back from a commercial.

"Oh, nothing," Kyle shrugged nonchalantly.

It had now been a full month since Taylor first moved to South Park, and even in that short amount of time it seemed as if she had become a completely different person. By hanging out with the boys on a daily basis, she had managed to get her mother and her past life out of her mind as she sat back and enjoyed the activities the group did together. Whether it was doing boring homework, playing video games, or even practicing her guitar skills thanks to Randy Marsh's permission, Taylor had come so far out of her shell that even she began to wonder how she had managed to reach what felt like paradise. With the amount of time she spent out of her house, the bruises on her body were quickly diminishing as she had figured out a schedule where she could be safe at home while her mother was either passed out or at the bar.

Also included in this short amount of time was Cartman's tolerance of including her in the group. While he still wouldn't admit that he enjoyed Taylor hanging out with them, he had definitely become much more accepting of her than at the start, and with three other people defending her and simply her threats alone he wasn't left with much choice on the matter. However, this didn't change the two children's views on one another, as Taylor would still punch him if he said something stupid. This didn't stop the group from being practically inseparable, and Kenny especially noticed two very important things in regards to Taylor's transformation: First, the more Cartman accepted Taylor, the less violent and angry she was towards him, and second, she laughed more. She had a beautiful laugh, full of life and sounded like it could enlighten a whole room.

_It's almost as if she hasn't laughed in years,_ Kenny thought to himself one night as it had just been the two of them and he had told her a really funny joke.

It was now Friday afternoon at school between lunch and class. Taylor was standing at her locker, organizing her books and figuring out what she would have to bring with her to Mr. Garrison's next lecture. Standing nearby, just out of earshot, were Stan and Kenny as they badgered Kyle and kept eyeing Taylor to make sure she was still at her locker.

"Kyle, just do it," Stan said irritably. "You've been wanting to do this all week, and frankly, we're sick of you going on about it."

"Yeah, just get it over with," Kenny chimed in, his sharp blue eyes continuously glancing between Kyle and Taylor as if that would magically do something to help the situation.

"But what if she says no?" Kyle muttered, nervously biting his lip and fiddling with his fingers. "What if this ruins our friendship? All of ours?" Kenny let out an exasperated sigh while Stan clenched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Their friend was overreacting to events that would most likely not even happen.

"Dude, chill," Stan said through closed eyes. "Knowing her she wouldn't let something like that warp her mind into suddenly wanting to ditch the only friends she's ever had."

"Just do it," Kenny repeated over and over. "Just do it, just do it, just do it."

"Okay!" Kyle exclaimed as he pushed his friends aside. "Just shut the hell up." As Kyle took a deep breath and proceeded to walk towards his best female friend with shaky legs, Stan and Kenny stared after him.

"What do you think she'll say?" Stan smiled as he shoved both of his hands into his coat pockets and leaned against the locker. Kenny did the same as he placed his hands behind his head.

"I have a feeling," he said, "but we'll just have to wait and see."

"Let's see," Taylor muttered to herself as she rearranged her books to help her remember what she would need to take home with her. "There's the quiz next week, so definitely bring the packet-"

"Hey, Taylor," Kyle interrupted suddenly. Taylor looked up from inside her locker and, realizing whom it was standing next to her, shot him a smile.

"Hey, Kyle. What's up?"

"Oh, w-well I was j-just w-wondering," Kyle stammered heavily. Taylor's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she inwardly observed her friend. He was barely looking at her, casting glances towards her only to shoot his forest green eyes back to the floor. His fingers seemed to move at a mile a minute as they fiddled between one another in his quick-paced hands. His usually clear words were broken up by his slightly trembling voice and stammers, and Taylor suddenly realized that his actions closely resembled how the always-nervous Butters acted on a daily basis. What could Kyle possibly be nervous about?

"Come on, Kyle!" Stan shouted from nearby. Taylor tilted her head to look around Kyle to see Stan and Kenny waving at him, acting like his own little cheer squad.

"Kyle! Kyle! Kyle!" Kenny added, making Kyle's already red face even brighter. He whipped around to yell something back at them, but no words came out of his trembling mouth. He decided to flip them off instead, sending the two boys into a fit of laughter, and Taylor couldn't help but giggle slightly as well. By the time Kyle had turned his attention back to Taylor, she was grabbing the last of her books and closing her locker door with a soft slam.

"So," she said slowly as she propped one foot against the metal door while clutching her books tightly to her chest, "obviously the guys know something that I don't." Her soft eyes danced happily as she kept seeing Stan and Kenny's cheering antics in the background before looking back at Kyle again. "What's going on?"

Kyle was biting his lip again as his breathing quickened once more. _Come on, Kyle! Just hurry up and get it over with._ Sporadic thoughts invaded his mind like wildfire. _So what if she says no and it ruins your friendship with her? She has a right to reject you if she doesn't like you. Crap, say something soon otherwise she'll think something weird is going on. Shit, I think my lip is bleeding now!_ This wasn't good; Kyle rarely ever lost his footing in any conversation, but why couldn't he talk to Taylor in this moment when he desperately needed to? He took a deep breath, figuring he should probably say something before Stan or Kenny said it for him. He clenched his eyes shut.

"Wouldyouliketojoinmeforapicnicatthepondtoday?"

One, two, three, four, five full seconds passed in the hallway before Kyle finally decided to peek open one of his eyes. Taylor hadn't said anything, instead standing emotionless except for her lips, which were slightly parted in what appeared to be shock. When Kyle finally opened his eyes fully, he cringed when he heard suppressed laughter coming from Taylor. After another second, she burst out into laughter.

_Oh, no!_ he thought to himself as he glanced back at Stan and Kenny, who only answered with concerned shrugs. _She's laughing at me!_ When he returned his attention to Taylor, she was trying to contain her laughter, covering her mouth with one hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized as she started to calm down. "I swear, I wasn't laughing at you."

Kyle relaxed slightly. "Then what was so funny?"

Taylor shrugged as she leaned against her locker again. "I guess the fact that you were so nervous to ask me a simple question." She smiled as she tried to keep her laughter contained, but the smile itself made Kyle feel the butterflies again. This time, however, they were the good kind.

"So," he started as his fingers began to fiddle again, "what do you say?"

"Yeah, sounds like fun," she answered immediately. "What time?"

"Four-thirty?" Kyle said the first logical time that came to his head.

"Sounds good," she nodded. "I'll see you in class." With a quick wave she turned and headed toward their classroom. As soon as she left Kyle felt himself collapse against the lockers while his best friends ran over to congratulate him.

"You did it, dude!" Stan said happily as he patted Kyle on the back. "You actually fucking did it!"

"Y-yeah, I guess I did." Kyle's emotions were on a rollercoaster between exhilaration and terror, only being given away by his quick facial expression from a small smile into looking like he wanted to jump off a cliff. Kenny was quick to pick up on his anxiousness.

"What's wrong, Kyle? You finally got up the courage to ask her out!"

"Yeah, it's just…" Kyle trailed off before looking at the two boys again. "What about my brother?"

Stan's brow furrowed in confusion. "What does Ike have to do with any of this?" Kyle looked at him sadly.

"My parents are going to be out of the house tonight," he muttered with realization, "between 3:30 and midnight. I was supposed to watch him." He covered his face in frustration, angry with himself for letting that planned fact completely skip over his mind. Now he would have to deal with the obnoxious task of having to cancel after he had worked up so much courage just to ask Taylor if she wanted to join him for a stupid picnic.

"Relax, Kyle," Stan reassured him. "I'll watch Ike for you." Kyle's head shot up, unaware that Stan and Kenny had exchanged a silent, nodded agreement.

"Yeah, and I'll keep Taylor occupied so her bitch of a mother doesn't ruin her mood," Kenny added.

Kyle smiled gratefully. "You guys are the best."

"We know," they responded simultaneously.

"Now let's get to class," Stan said as the boys left the lockers, "before Mr. Garrison gives us detention. Otherwise, the plan is screwed."

The students of South Park Elementary were quick to escape their classes as the final bell rang to release them into the glorious weekend. Kyle's nerves were still on edge as he shakily went to his locker to retrieve his books. Ever since Taylor had agreed to join him at Stark's Pond, his mind had been racing trying to compile a list of things he would need to bring with him. He also thought about how to repay Stan and Kenny for helping him out; he figured that he owed them big time.

By the time his final thoughts had been processed, he was opening the front door of the school. Taylor and Stan had beaten him outside, and as he saw her laughing and smiling with Stan he had to remind himself to fucking relax.

"Hey, guys," Kyle said casually as he approached his friends. "Where's fatass?"

"He's on the bus," Stan replied. "I already told him it'd be just the three of us." Kyle nodded thanks before Taylor spoke up.

"So why am I not joining in on the ride home?" she asked in mock anger. Her question was immediately answered.

"Because you'll be hanging out with me!" Kenny was suddenly behind Taylor, wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug.

"I'm supposed to keep you company while Kyle gets everything ready for your daaate!" Stan and Kenny erupted in laughter while Kyle wanted to strangle his friend. He knew he was joking around, but Kyle realized that the only thing legitimately keeping him from physically harming his friend was the fact that he was still loosely hanging off of Taylor in a hug.

"Okay, okay, easy there, Kenny," Taylor giggled, blushing with embarrassment. Kenny let go of her and gleefully hopped to the side before Taylor turned back to Stan and Kyle. "You guys should probably get on the bus before fatass has a fit." They nodded with laughter as they waved goodbye and boarded the bus.

As Kyle looked out of his window, he couldn't help but grin a bit as he saw Kenny keep a smile on Taylor's face before he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the school, beginning a race down the sidewalk. He was glad Kenny had offered to keep her company instead of letting her go home. She seemed to be in an ecstatic mood, and Kenny had been right about not wanting to let her mother ruin it. When he felt the bus move forward, he sat back in his seat and sighed in content.


	6. Kyle POV

**Part 2-The Fear Chapter 2-Bonus Chapter Kyle**

Kyle tried so hard to keep his green eyes glued to the television screen as Taylor quickly ran upstairs. As soon as he stopped hearing her footsteps, he quickly hopped off of Stan's couch and grabbed Kenny's parka. As he dragged him into the kitchen, Kenny looked at him like the boy had lost his mind.

"Kyle, what's wrong?" the blond asked, clearly worried about Kyle's sudden behavior.

"Dude, I need to talk to you," Kyle said quickly, obviously trying not to waste any time.

"What's up?" Kenny asked, giving Kyle his full attention, but a little worried about what his friend could possibly have to say to him. Kyle sighed before letting the words tumble out of his mouth.

"Okay, look," he started, "I really like Taylor and I want to ask her out, but I know you like her too. I just wanted to let you know that I feel the same way, and I didn't want to be a bad friend-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kenny interrupted, placing his hands on Kyle's shoulders to calm him down. "Dude, I don't like Taylor like that." Kyle looked at the blond dumbfounded, his face turning bright red.

"Y-you don't?" he stammered. "But, I thought..."

"Yeah, I like Taylor," Kenny smiled. "But like how a brother likes a sister. She needed someone when she first moved here, and I was the person she chose to confide in first. I'll always be there for her, we all will, but you, me, and Stan all love her in different ways." Kyle's face was starting to return to its normal color as a smile crept onto his face. "If you like her more than a friend," Kenny continued, "then go for it."

Kyle nodded his head. "Thanks, Ken. I just wanted to be sure."

"No problem." Kenny turned around to go back to the living room, but quickly turned around again and punched his friend in the arm.

"What the hell was that for?" Kyle asked bewildered, but still smiled as he rubbed his arm.

"Don't fuck this up like you did with the home-schooled girl," Kenny advised while pointing a finger accusingly at Kyle. The ginger only rolled his eyes as he followed Kenny into the living room and took his place back on the couch. As soon as he did, he could hear Taylor's footsteps coming down the staircase.

"What did I miss?" she asked as she sat back on the couch between Stan and Kyle as "Terrence and Philip" came back from a commercial.

"Oh, nothing," Kyle shrugged nonchalantly.


	7. Taylor POV

**Part 2-The Fear Chapter 2-Bonus Chapter Taylor**

I couldn't believe it. Kyle Broflovski actually asked me out on a date! I can't even believe it right now! Okay, calm down, Taylor, don't get too ahead of yourself. It might not even be a date, but based on how nervous he was I guess it is. But what if the other guys are there? No, don't be stupid. If it were all of us together there's no way Kyle would've been that nervous. Yeah, it has to be a date. Oh, but what if it's just a casual outing? Goddammit, how in the world was I so chill earlier when I can't even keep my thoughts in line right now?

Okay, calm down. Just listen to Garrison's lesson and focus on your notes. Wait, what class is this again? Oh right, science. Focus, Taylor, you're good at this subject. Actually, you're pretty decent in all of them. Just like Kyle. Wait, what? No, stop it! Look up and pay attention to Mr. Garrison. Shit, goddammit, Kyle, why do you have to sit directly in front of me? Okay, new plan. Just look down at your notes and just listen. Tune out everything else and just focus.

All right, let's see. We're currently learning about fish. Fish are vertebrates, have scales, and live in the water. Most live in saltwater, like the oceans, and some live in freshwater, like the pond Kyle and I are going to later. What? No. Stop! Fuck, I can't deal with this! My thigh is starting to go numb from the constant pencil drumming thanks to my stupid nervous habit. Why can't class just end already?

Oh hey, it just did. I really wasn't paying attention thanks to my obnoxious thoughts, but all I know is that the final bell rang and I am free!

"Come on, Taylor!" Kenny shouted happily as he grabbed my hand and started pulling me down the sidewalk. "We can go hang out at the park!" Kyle and Stan had just boarded the bus, leaving me a split second to wave a final goodbye before suddenly being dragged away from the school. We ran for a good while, both of us in decent enough shape that we almost got to the park gates before stopping to catch our breath. Despite it being the beginning of a new weekend, the park was near empty since we had bolted almost right after the bell rang. We both made a mad dash towards the swing set, claiming two seats before any other kids decided to come play here as well.

"So, why bring me here?" I decided to ask almost as soon as we had sat down. Kenny shrugged, silent for a while as he tried to get some decent air on his swing. The wind pushed his hood off of his head while my hat stayed in place as I was only casually pushing myself with one foot. When he was finally high enough, Kenny jumped off and landed perfectly on the ground a good foot away from the swing set. He managed to get a giggle out of me as he turned around to take a dramatic bow before coming back over to reclaim his swing.

"I don't know," he finally answered as he sat down, slowly pushing himself with one foot as well. "It just seemed like the best place for you to go."

I looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Well," he sighed, reaching back to grab his hood, but decided against it; the weather was beautiful today. "I guess because we didn't want your good mood to be ruined."

I looked forward again, gently smiling as I thought about Kyle's question earlier today. Kenny was right; I _was_ in a good mood, and the fact that he had said "we" must've meant that Kyle and Stan were trying to make sure I stayed happy as well. Even weeks later, I still can't believe that I actually have trustworthy, caring friends.

"Besides," Kenny interrupted my thoughts, "I honestly couldn't think of any other place to go!" We both laughed as we began to actually start swinging, and in the brief silence my mind started to race again.

All of them had clearly been able to tell that I was happy, and while I'm not quite sure what Stan is doing right now, Kenny had actually planned since the hallway incident that he would spend time with me at the park while I waited for Kyle. We could've gone to his house, hell, I could've been stuck going back to my house. But no, they were doing things to help both Kyle and me out.

"Hey, Kenny?" I muttered shyly, but it was just enough to get his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Um, when it's time for me to meet with Kyle at the pond, would you mind walking with me?"

"Absolutely," he answered immediately.

In that moment, I finally learned what true, genuine friendship felt like for the first time in my life. Today had been a good day.


End file.
